'Man of Steel' Composer Hans Zimmer Celebrates Mankind on 'DNA'

Composer Hans Zimmer helmed the score for the upcoming Superman film Man of Steel, and the movie's heartfelt approach to the almost-invincible superhero called for an appropriately optimistic yet yearning soundtrack. On "DNA," Zimmer reached into Superman's human identity and Kansas upbringing for a tense, frantic track that captures the glory of Middle America.

"My inspiration for the music came from trying to celebrate all that is good and kind in the people of America's heartland, without cleverness or cynicism. Just from the heart," Zimmer tells Rolling Stone. "I wanted the epic sound of the fields and farms stretching past the horizon, of the wind humming in the telephone wires." But the massive score comes less from Superman's epic battle with villain General Zod and more from his introverted personal issues. "The music is less about the icon that Superman is," Zimmer says, "and more about the outsider with extraordinary powers and his struggle to become a part of humanity."

Man of Steel: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack will be out June 11th on iTunes. Man of Steel opens June 14th.